Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1887-04-16
THE FRESHET,
BY HARRIET PRESCOTT sPoFFoRD.
Prom Hsrper's Bazaar.

clh-u tnat when We grew Up and had q house OF
oar own, IL was to be our own. his and mine and
.eIe We were 10 I've together and live alone: and
The chief OF our diet there was TO be sppletarts
anu ouIter-ScoteheS. that was our own affair."
III Is thousand pities that IL was about that
mouse thai all the Fout happened For the fact
Il, had The strongest sort OF a will, and SO had
Aafk; AMI when IL came to the point IL wasn't
that house at all that wanted
FOR, you SEE, he spot where lived down On the
great meadow farms, was my sole idea OF the
beauty and pieasantness OF the world. Across the
nver, with its high bank crowned with feathery
ana always trembling and shining bircheS. the
hills rose far and faint and purple vague but here
there were only the long green levels of grass
heidS lSlng low and even with the river that filled
ana sparAeied IN the reeds along the edge, and
noWed by US broad and grand on Its way TO the
sea And when the sun shone, and the sky was
biue- and the south wind was softly blowing, one
seemed as near heaven, living there it is gwen
one TO be ON earth.
There were quite a number of dwelling-ho,ses
here, where the corners OF several OF the great
river farms cOnveTged, so that, although their
lands stretched out III different directions, the
buildings clustered together Ike a village, and We
always came and went freely in each other
houses, aud anew each others concerns, and were
more ike one large family than strangers; and L
loved my neighborS, every one, and didn't want 10
go away from them. and when 1t came to tie
question OF marrying and going away, 1 was sim
ply determined that wouldn't 90 away, but that
Mark should come down 10 this little Garden OF
Eden where knew every tint OF the ripe grass on
the meadow, every sparkle OF the water, every
nee.e OF elCud upon the blHe Of heaven.
land why not, MarA?' / urged. Here IS this
Immense farm, really great property, and would
you leave IL 10 take care of Itself, and we go to
i've two miles away on Your fathers place, that
bleak, Lonesome rock up in The air, shut iii by a
pine IOItSl, Ike a great iOFtTeSS-a prison, real
1t isn't aprison to me-" said Marx at is the
brightest spot ia the wOri,i-it would be If YOU
were in IL, Nah" My real name is Pamela; but
thai Is the way people always used me.
And 10 neighbOrs thsre!" exclaimed-''no-
body 20 run IN OF an evening, nobody TO talk 10
over the garden wall, nobody To borrow Of no.
body 10 show Your new things To, nobody IL you're
slck one might as well be buried alive. L al
Il should want nobody but you, Nan, if we
were married aud that was our home. IL would
b. simply paradise
1T wouldn't be paradise 20 me without any
water 10 see never liked the verse in the Bi-
Die about there being no more sea- Pretty hed-
Ven that, without any sea TO look at, couldn't
I've without my river. I've always had it run
ming by, running up or running down, coming
from somewhere, going to somewhere. life and
motion always LOOK out the first thing in the
morning to see II It's still there and / listen for
IL at night And II makes two skies by night
one above and one be!Ow-with stars down in
the underworld: and then by day the color. the
eaaDgiRg hsht ana color, anu the pushing OF the
tide, taking you right into the mysteries. Oh.
us stagnation without the river. Id as lief be
dead
..And think lust as much of the pine woods.
he said, with the everlasting muTInur OF the
oCUghS- And when wind begins To blow. long
before We feei il down below, thr tree-tOps know
IT, and are whispering about il one To another, like
Old witches brewing a Storm"
"And there's n0lhing but patch of garden
there In your fathers Old place. / went on with
out needing; and here are these long rich grass
Lands And how III the world we To manage
farm Two niles away from Il, i should like 10
know"
-rknow,- said Mark. Easily; just as you do two
rods away"
Its impossible, said l. You don't understand
al q
farm needs If yeu think that"
Wei, We could sci! The farm, you know"
sell The fdrmt" / cried, starting up. ''Ny
fathers, my grandiather's, LILY great-grandfa-
your Noah's your Adams
"How do you dare talk so To me- Mark Myers
about my homer cTied. more Vexed and more
Il shouldn't think you had called my home
prison and q dungeon, he reJOrted.
= We'll, II is! ths gioomiest, the"
''Now hush, my darling: hush, you little vixen"
said Marx, laughing, with his hand on nv lips .Or
yoUl say something yOu'Ii be sorry IorT
you've said something you'll be sorry for
ctied-''calilng me vixen ! may be vixen, but
ways were tyTants, and I'm glad Tve found you
OUT in time-So calm, AID 50 cool, and fiXed In
your own way. and I'll never, never 90 and live
In Jour old pr1s0n-house, cried, growing angrer
and angTieT, Heaven only Knows why. "A md YOU
may just whistle Tor Jour dog, and go there your
- 4, ami 20 alone / never want TO see your face
again. And before he could grasp Inc Ind prevent
NE, had flashed into the house ana had shut and
bCIt1 The door.
He waited then: he waited / should think. an
Eour- And sat inside burning With anger, and
With an unconscious sense OF shame, very likely
and I bluter disappointment, and wild, unnamed
fear. And al Last lie rose slowly and looked Ut the
windows, and turned away and called old Roland.
aRd went slowly down the lane. And ne never
caIi.S Oach- could See hlm walking along ever
SO slowly, IN the clear moonlight, WiIh the dogs
nose III his hand, till the road turned into the
wood that mounted the hill And when be had
gone just threw myself on the hOOr and all but
dissolved IN my mad tears. And didn't know
what the tears were for-wheJher for fear of losing
ar fear IN n
giving up my viii; but II seemed 10 lie that the
end VI the world had as good as come.
We were b3th orphans We both had these great
properties, and We had botn better have been beg
gars-
That was June. and the fun moon. 1 didn't
sleep any thai night hardly know why; a pre-
sentiment OF evil Kept me waking, although was
so tired remember that moon now, hanging ia
the purple sky, with her wide wings like a great
DOtIng ghost Every time looked out. there She
WIS. By-and-by she began TO brighten me ani
shut her out, but Lay awake all The same my mind
IL Wild whlrl.
The next evening, in the long after-glow of the
sunset, trlpped down the Lane 10 the wood. sure
that should meet him, As l always had done on
his way 10 me; Out the shape had been Used TO
see bounding down the path did hot see again /
went close % the shadow CT the wood buc only old
Roland came and put his nose in my hand and
waited with ile while | waited. aud went back
with me little way wheE went back Ii did NOT
Our 10 10 THINK that where Roland was his
master was not lar distant And Went down the
Lane 10 more
After that, then, one day crept by, and another,
neSS of the great farm thrlyed In tue hands Of
Bryan, the directing OverSreT, and ali seemed 10
lie mere idleuess- The moving machines were
huTnn!ng ali day Ia The meadows, and the huge
loads OF fragrant hay came labOrin into the barns
and thun1er clouds made paDics, anu the nghU-
Ming fel, a. II always die on the wet low grounds
and burned one u Two hay 81 acks; and tnen the
gRncelOSs went down the river for the salt hay
ana came back, days afterWart, with their dark,
square sails set atop Of their square loads OF
thatch: AMI one by one all the concerns OF ripen-
lug alu harvesting had their season. and o. SSed
al August was over. And Mark nal never once
bgeE up The kane again; AID september had gone
ana the hdrsest-IuOJn; and the hunters moon mad
poured Us silver Hoods Of light OUT OF great
EuIe4E heaven; ana Still Mark had never come.
i suppose Mrs Wells, my next neighbour knew
az about Il. ALG Ars sawyer, on the other side
vi cOlrrt knew al that Mrs. Well did They wtr.
very good 10 liz. and they anu the girls were
always running IN 70 see me, sending Tor me 10
TJE IL and see tAelE- don't thin was irving 10
GARY things on with = high hand aDd knf1vy
WASN'T hanging my head and crying over what
~aS hCt 10 u helped; / simply made up iny fnInd
Ia The iueFitabie. was never going 10 have Mark
beside i;Ic any more ana must ei;lIr. it, and get
through HE - weu - could tsd THIS farm on
Iuy han0s and al the people Who had their living
from II. and must DO LIy duty. ana pernlp, IN,
time IaJs would DS Kinder, AMI give me a fever ar
4 cough and let lie down and die and ne
would come then and look me- and reneIn her
how had loved HIN, and b. sorry. And thinking
bow SOrTE IL would D. - fJy 1 Rugged In toT
heart. and the only JOY had
But ] used 10 long 80 sometimes 10 seq Nark,s
dear again, 10 hear his voice Just Jo law my
head on his shoulder ami cry my eye, out there